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UGA NOTEBOOK: Walk-on Davis making strong impression

ATHENS — Even the most rabid Georgia fans probably didn’t know who Aaron Davis was until recently.

The walk-on cornerback moved up to the first team as new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt continues to shuffle up his secondary.

So on Thursday, Davis drew a half dozen reporters curious about his story.

Davis said he received some recruiting interest from Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference programs in his sophomore season at Luella High School in Locust Grove before two knee surgeries changed that.

He contacted Georgia, his favorite school, and joined the program last summer as a preferred walk-on after the only other options were at Division III programs.

“I felt like this was a better opportunity for me,” he said. “If I was getting recruited to be SEC, ACC, I don’t really want to cut myself short. I felt like I should step up to the challenge and walk on to a school because if I have to go to D-III and pay money anyways, I might as well go to a place where I want to be.”

Davis tore the ACL in his left knee in the spring before his junior season, but had to have another surgery due to a partial tear. He hasn’t played in a game at cornerback since his sophomore year at Locust Grove. His only other game since then was the final one of his senior season when he played receiver.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Davis didn’t get in a game last season for Georgia and only dressed out for three games, one of which was the bowl game.

Pruitt is a stickler for consistently doing things a certain way, including using the correct technique he teaches. That’s why Davis, who graduated from high school summa cum laude and as an AP scholar, figures he’s been running with the first team.

“I just feel like I did the right thing pretty much, what he’s asked for,” Davis said. “Just given him what he wants and I guess that’s how I’ve been moving up.”

Outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said Davis makes good plays on the ball and doesn’t bite on fakes.

“He’s been working pretty hard,” Jenkins said. “I’m just glad to see it’s paying off and he’s getting some of the reps that he deserves.”

Davis said he’s made a couple of interceptions in practice and thinks he can get snaps or even start in the fall.

“As long as I continue whatever has impressed him so far,” he said, “I feel like I can maintain myself up there.”

Pruitt’s quick trigger

Pruitt hasn’t allowed much wiggle room for mistakes in the secondary, Jenkins said.

“I’ve seen people get fired for messing up two or three plays in a row,” Jenkins said. “I remember Pruitt yelling, ‘All, right, you’re fired. Somebody else get him off the field.’ That’s how quick it is with the DBs. You mess up a couple of plays, you’re out. He told Corey (Moore) one day, ‘You’re fired. Get off the field.’ He doesn’t mean it all the time. It’s definitely funny watching them in practice getting subbed in and out.”

Pruitt, who coaches the defensive backs, treats returning starters the same as walk-ons who have never taken a snap.

Even before spring practice.

Davis said Pruitt held one-on-one meetings with every player to get to know each individually.

“It felt good,” Davis said. “It was like everybody got an equal opportunity, an equal time to meet him.”

Harvey-Clemons, Grantham reunited

Safety Josh Harvey-Clemons is headed for Louisville to reunite with Todd Grantham, which means Georgia should avoid at least another regular-season game against another player dismissed from its program.

Harvey-Clemons plans to transfer to Louisville, his grandfather told InsideTheVille.com.

“He wants to stick with Coach Grantham and his defensive system,” Woodrow Clemons said. “That Star position that he’s able to play safety and outside linebacker and cover the back coming out or able to rush the quarterback. We kind of like that.”

Georgia shouldn’t see Harvey-Clemons again unless they happen to meet in the new four-team playoffs. It seems highly unlikely that Georgia would add Louisville to its schedule given that Grantham and now Harvey-Clemons are there.

Quarterbacks Nick Marshall and Zach Mettenberger, each sent packing after off-field trouble while at Georgia, gave the Bulldogs all they could handle last year. Marshall threw the game-winning tipped touchdown pass for Auburn last year and the Bulldogs won a shootout over LSU and Mettenberger.

Harvey-Clemons was suspended for the opener last season for violating Georgia’s drug policy and was serving a four-game suspension when he was dismissed from the team in February.

Harvey-Clemons, Georgia’s third-leading tackler last season, will sit out this coming season and have two years of eligibility remaining.

Quick hits

Keith Marshall, the tailback coming off an ACL injury, tweeted recently: “(I don’t know) who came up with all this redshirt talk.” Coach Mark Richt said in an interview on 680 The Fan on Thursday morning: “We think Keith is doing extremely well. We think he’ll be fine. All throughout the summer, I don’t think there will be any limitations and he’ll be ready to play. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue as far as a redshirt.” ... Georgia practiced Thursday in Sanford Stadium to prepare for Saturday’s G-Day game.